title: A price and use comparison of generic versus originator cardiovascular medicines: a hospital study in Chongqing, China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Developed countries use generic competition to contain pharmaceutical expenditure. China, as a developing and transitional country, has not yet deemed an increase in the use of generic products as important; otherwise, much effort has been made to decrease the drug prices. This paper aims to explore dynamically the price and use comparison of generic and originator drugs in China, and estimate the potential savings of patients from switching originator drugs to generics.
  
  
  METHODS
  A typical hospital in Chongqing, China, was selected to examine the price and use comparisons of 12 cardiovascular drugs from 2006 to 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The market share of the 12 generic medicines studied in this paper was 34.37% for volume and 31.33% for value in the second half of 2011. The price ratio of generic to originator drugs was between 0.34 and 0.98, and the volume price index of originators to generics was 1.63. The potential savings of patients from switching originator drugs to generics is 65%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The market share of the generics was lowering and the weighted mean price kept increasing in face of the strict price control. Under the background of hospitals both prescribing and dispensing medicines, China's comprehensive healthcare policy makers should take measures from supply and demand sides to promote the consumption of generic medicines.
authors.affiliation: School of Management, Chongqing Jiaotong University, No,66 Xuefu Road, Nan'an District, Chongqing 400074, China. wenwin99@sina.com.
authors.forename: Wenjie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D017046:Cost Savings / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016568:Drugs, Generic / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D016568:Drugs, Generic; D055553:Prescription Drugs